<p>Now for the last great push: we must clear away all obstacles on the first floor and fill it with Book Fair. A week from Wednesday night, the Associates will line up and the whole merry madness begins again. We've been on the teevee and on Twitter, we've been in the newspaper and our banner's on the fence. I may even have mentioned it myself once or twice. There's a Book Fair a-Comin'!</p>

<p>So this is the last blog for a while. This is a moment of great suspense. Did I remember to tell the bookloving public out there in internetland the important stuff? Did I imbue my words with a sense of what their participation in this gathering of excited readers means to the Newberry, to the world of books?</p>

<p>And did I pass along the rules? Don't bring in donations that weekend; we have plenty of books to go around. Do not seek out your Uncle Blogsy (he's the one in the funny apron) and expect him to be witty. He is probably answering his hundredth summons to come and explain where to find the price on a copy of The Divine Secrets of the ya-Ya Sisterhood. (Upper righthand corner of the first white page, usually: did I mention this?) Don't pat him on the back as a gesture of support as he dashes past. That sweater is twenty percent wool and eighty percent perspiration at this point.</p>

<p>Try not to throw books on the floor, no matter what you think of the price. Please don't bite or jab the other customers: we need all of them, even those who are trying to get at the Kennedy postcards before you do. If you have a question or need assistance or wish to point out someone who is stuffing audiocassettes into his boot, seek out one of the nice people in red aprons. There are restrooms to the east and west: the ones on the east are in the basement, and bigger than the ones on the west of the first floor. There is no ATM machine, but we can tell you where to find them in the neighborhood. We can tell you how to bid on the amazing items in the Silent Auction (a large piece of wood with the Newberry N, a glittery merman, and the Lord's Prayer engraved on a single piece of type by the folks at the Lakeside Press.) The only thing we will not tell you is where to go when you try to argue about the price of a one dollar book.</p>

<p>There's more, I suppose--where to find the Greek edition of Charlie Brown or the first edition of The Cat in the Hat. But if I tell it all, there'll be no surprise waiting for you. Hunting and finding is half the fun (and much of our profit.)</p>

<p>So I'm jumping in now: if we all make it to the other side, I'll tell you what I saw on the swim. See you in nine or ten days: come have fun, and remember to keep your mind and your wallet open. L'chaim!</p>